Classic, warm and beachy, these were the adjectives my client used when describing to me how she wanted her home’s living room/dining room and kitchen to feel. She also wanted to have lots of storage in all three rooms. And we achieved just that. I visited her last week and took some photos to show just how great the transformation turned out.

This is the view from the entry now.

After – beachy living and dining room

The befores:

I did up a couple of mood boards and sourced products for her so that she could follow the plan along at her own pace as her time and budget allowed. She also has an extremely handy father who did alot of the hands on work. Trades people were hired for the jobs that were not DIY and I think this makeover shows just how much you can do on a fairly strict budget.

So obviously this was a fairly extensive makeover, new hardwood floors were installed in a medium tone brown to keep the look classic and timeless. The dining table was an existing one that her father had made so it was incorporated into the space. The sofa was custom made and the case goods were picked up from big box stores.

I suggested that she use some of her own family pictures in the 4 large frames and they have turned out perfectly. She already has plans to rotate in some newer pictures. The drapery was ready made and adds some graphic pattern to the palette.

The bird and octopus artwork was purchased by my client on her yearly trips to Prince Edward County and they are the perfect compliment to the space.

Now onto the kitchen. Here’s what it looks like now.

And here’s the befores:

We continued with the same drapery as the living room and dining room as the windows are literally right beside each other. The hardwood floor was continued throughout the kitchen as well to keep the flow from room to room. The existing dark wood cabinetry was painted out to match the new pantry and open shelving.

An antique feeling dark wood table was added to tie in with the dark wood floors and the chairs were my client’s grandmothers, which serendipiously match the table perfectly. I selected a clear glass pendant to keep the sight lines open to the new backyard deck, as well as a glass and gold flush mount fixture (not shown) for the working area of the kitchen. Under cabinet lighting was also added during the renovation.

The bronze/gold Brizo Talo faucet sparkles like a piece of jewelry on the Caesarstone Quartz white counter and the backsplash is actually tile that looks so much like barn wood, you have to touch it to believe it.

These extra cabinets added much needed storage to the space challenged kitchen and a little touch of display area, which can be changed out to a bar or appetizer area when guests are expected.

This long, long wall opposite the stove, was treated to some softly textured wallpaper that is wipeable and adds a little extra pattern to the kitchen. My client found these adorable mirror spheres that hide the unused and unsightly phone outlet.

The Brizo Talo faucet.

Some added display area that also showcases the backsplash.

My client is thrilled with her home and it’s new look. She says when she gets home she breathes a happy sigh and settles in for some R & R. Which just makes me smile!

So, this is the paper that I ultimately decided upon. It took awhile to get in and I just managed to get it up just before my daughter’s shower…phew. That was a close one. I originally was going to do all the walls, but time was short and I just managed to do the one large wall. And now, I’m thinking I may just leave it as is….hmmm.

The entrance was painted in Benjamin Moore’s Picket Fence (a soft and warm grey) a few months ago, which picks up on the grey veining in the floor tile.

It has looked like this for a few months. Soooo boring!!

And now it looks like this!

So much better! I also changed out the entry light, wall sconces and ceiling fixture this past winter when I was doing a little house refreshing.

Introducing the soft greys and taupes makes the house feel fresher and more contemporary. In an ideal world I would change out the entry tile but that will not be happening. The blue vase and entry mat pick up on the navy in the dining room, living room and upstairs loft.

So leave as is or continue the wallpapering on the remaining entry walls?

Way back a few months ago, I was posting on IG and FB a few of the wallpaper options that I was looking at for my entryway. I had been going back and forth on what exactly I wanted. I originally was looking at navy and white and I definitely wanted some sort of natural theme, leaves, flowers, trees… However, since we are thinking of selling at some point in the future, I wanted something that appealed to most people and wasn’t too out there. Then I decided to do the One Room Challenge, which of course, totally side railed me on the wallpaper selection.

But I digress, and here were the contenders:

So you can definitely see my nature theme going on above. Each one has it’s pluses and minuses. Top left is modern and the grey has a slight metallic tone so it’s also a little more formal. Top right is soft, calm and has a watercolour feel in person. Bottom left has a linen texture and is again calm and neutral. Bottom right is similar to a block print and has a casual Scandinavian feel.

So to let you see where I’m thinking of using one of these papers. Here’s a few befores:

When we first moved in:

After I stencilled and painted the interior doors a charcoal/black.

I did love the stencil but then I had the house painted just before Christmas and the stencil was painted over. So back to the drawing board or in this case, the wallpaper store. Since I had already done a stencil I wanted something different so wallpaper won out.

This is how the entry looked after a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore’s Picket Fence. Fresh and clean but just a little dull.

And which paper was the winner, you ask?

I’m a sucker for trees and leaves and I thought this one had the touch of greige/taupe that would work with the existing beige/taupe fixtures.

How is your Spring going? Lots and lots of rain here, really hoping that our late spring/summer improves soon. We’ve been busy recovering from the flood at our cottage and celebrating our daughter’s upcoming wedding by having her bridal shower this past weekend. It was a lot of fun and I’ll be sharing some pictures of that later this week or early next week.

Photography credit: Melissa Kew Photography

Today, I actually have a few links to share. CDECA (The Canadian Decorators’ Association) just published their post on the 6 award winning kitchens for 2017. I’m happy to be included in this amazing group of designers/decorators. Click on the picture above to see all the winning kitchens.

And if you are looking for a few tips on how to do a quick cottage spring refresh, check out the article that I contributed to in the online magazine, More.